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Bosch Ventures (RBVC)
Ingo Ramesohl runs Bosch Ventures (RBVC), the corporate VC that has deployed over $1B into deep-tech and industrial startups from Frankfurt since 2008.
Bosch Ventures (RBVC)
Robert Bosch GmbH, the world's largest automotive tier-1 supplier by revenue, founded its standalone venture arm in 2008 with Hongquan Jiang, Ingo Ramesohl, and Luis Llovera as managing directors. The unit operates with dual headquarters in Frankfurt and Stuttgart, plus a Silicon Valley outpost in Sunnyvale, and invests from the parent company's balance sheet rather than a traditional limited partner fund structure. That means RBVC does not face the fundraising cycles or capital-call constraints of a standalone VC firm. RBVC focuses on deep-tech and industrial startups across automation and electrification, AI and machine learning, energy and climate technology, mobility, and digital health. The firm typically writes initial checks from $1 million to $25 million and reserves significant capital for follow-on rounds, often holding board seats. Confirmed positions include 1Komma5Grad, a German clean-energy unicorn, and several semiconductor and autonomous-driving startups. Geographically, the portfolio stretches from Germany and Israel to the US and China, reflecting the parent company's global industrial footprint. With a team of roughly 45 professionals, RBVC has participated in over 150 deals since inception. In addition to its direct investment activities, the firm selectively engages in fund-of-funds commitments and has a co-investment partnership with Temasek through a dedicated deep-tech fund. March 2025: Named Ingo Ramesohl as sole Managing Director, consolidating leadership as the unit increasingly writes growth-stage checks alongside its traditional early-stage practice (per the firm, March 2025). What distinguishes RBVC from a typical corporate VC is that it does not require a strategic procurement path into Bosch as a condition of investment. Portfolio companies are not beholden to a commercial agreement, and the firm has publicly stated it will back startups that compete with existing Bosch divisions when the technology trajectory demands it. That mandate independence is rare among industrial strategics — and it explains why startups backed by RBVC have also sold to Bosch's competitors, including Siemens and ABB.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2008
AUM
$1B–$3B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Germany
City
Frankfurt
Corporate office
Frankfurt, Germany
Additional offices
Stuttgart, Germany · Sunnyvale, CA, United States
Principals
Ingo Ramesohl
Managing Director
Hongquan Jiang
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Is RBVC a typical venture capital firm, or does it require strategic alignment with Bosch?
RBVC invests from Robert Bosch GmbH's corporate balance sheet, not as a traditional fund, and explicitly does not require a commercial relationship with Bosch. Portfolio companies have sold to Bosch's competitors, including Siemens and ABB, without penalty or restriction. The firm's mandate permits it to back startups whose success could displace existing Bosch products.
How large is RBVC's investment team, and where does it operate?
The team includes roughly 45 professionals working from offices in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Sunnyvale, California. Managing Director Ingo Ramesohl leads the group, with Partner Hongquan Jiang based in the US. The multi-office structure reflects RBVC's global investment footprint across Europe, North America, China, and Israel.
What investment stages does RBVC target?
RBVC invests from seed to growth stage, with initial checks typically between $1 million and $25 million and significant reserves for follow-on rounds. The firm frequently takes board seats and has shown an increasing willingness to write growth-stage checks, particularly since consolidating leadership under Ingo Ramesohl in 2025.
Does RBVC invest in software, or is it exclusively hardware and industrial companies?
RBVC invests in both, but its software positions tend to support physical-world applications: industrial AI, autonomous mobility stacks, energy grid management platforms, and digital-health diagnostic tools. Pure SaaS companies with no industrial application are rare in the portfolio. The firm's deep-tech posture reflects the parent company's manufacturing and engineering DNA.
How does RBVC source its deals?
As a tier-1 automotive supplier's venture arm, RBVC benefits from Bosch's global technology scouting network and its relationships with research universities and industrial consortia. The firm also co-invests with partners like Temasek via a dedicated deep-tech fund and participates in syndicated rounds alongside top-tier venture firms in Europe, the US, and Asia.
Is RBVC structured as a single-family office in any way?
No. RBVC is a corporate venture capital division — Robert Bosch GmbH is owned 94% by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, a charitable foundation, and 5% by the Bosch family, but the venture arm invests solely for strategic and financial return on the parent company's balance sheet. It does not manage wealth for the Bosch family.
Which sectors does RBVC explicitly avoid?
RBVC tends not to invest in consumer internet, social media, advertising technology, or speculative crypto protocols. The firm's investment memorandum is anchored to Bosch's industrial and manufacturing competencies — sectors where the parent company can add engineering or manufacturing value.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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